SAN ANTONIO — The iconic and beloved Spurs Coyote is getting recognized on a national scale. The mascot of Spurs basketball received the coveted honor of being named the NBA Mascot of the Year.
To celebrate the victory, we put together this list of truly epic moments in Spurs Coyote history. Join us on this trip down memory lane as we count down the Top Five Spurs Coyote moments both on and off the court:
5. "Most Terrifying"?
It appears not everyone loves the Spurs Coyote as much as San Antonians. In 2019, the coyote was named as the 'Most Terrifying" mascot in Texas, according to a map put together by Chris Grosse, the Assistant AD for Marketing at Penn State University.
We are not sure how our cute, loveable mascot made it onto that list, but we think the honor of most terrifying mascot out of all 50 states should go to the nightmare-inducing Gritty, the official mascot for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team.
4. Great Wall of Coyote
Joining the likes of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Cardi B, and even the Queen of Tejano, Selena, the Spurs Coyote was honored with his own mural in 2017.
San Antonio artist, Albert Gonzales painted it outside KM Computers & Printing at 5727 Evers Road to give the Spurs a little pep during the 2017 NBA playoffs. It seems to have helped because the team made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals that year!
3. In the form of a question
You know you have "made it" in life when you become a Jeopardy question.
That's exactly what happened in the year 2020 for our Spurs Coyote! The answer for a clue on the Friday, May 1 episode referenced a time in 2005 when the coyote and a referee didn't quite see eye to eye.
"In 2005 the San Antonio Spurs mascot got ejected, ref Jess Kersey saying, 'I want the wolf gone!' -- He's really this creature."
Of course, any San Antonian would know the question from that clue. But, one contestant guessed "bull", before another contestant offered the correct response.
2. Coyote helps in COVID times
When the going gets tough, the Spurs Coyote gets going! The coyote (and family) played a role in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 when a pandemic hit San Antonio.
In "The Coyote Family Stays Home!" a downloadable eBook, kids got a look at how the San Antonio Spurs Coyote and his family are coping with the pandemic.
If the Spurs Family can get through it, we can, too! The free eBook is available in English and Spanish and can be downloaded through the San Antonio Public Library.
1. Coyote versus bat!
What does the Spurs Coyote do when bats invaded the AT&T Center? Don a batman costume and grab a bat-catching net, of course!
Perhaps the most memorable of all the Spurs Coyote moments in history was when he flailed around trying to a catch a bat in the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans on February 2, 2019. His antics made national headlines and earned him the temporary nickname of "BatYote"!
